Local ballet students will soon have a special opportunity to learn from renowned choreographer and former dancer Robert Hill, who celebrated his tenth year as artistic director of the Orlando Ballet last month.

"We are proud to offer this unique opportunity to local dancers,” said Dussich Dance Studio’s general manager, Anna Spangler. “Robert Hill, who is originally from Brevard, is a renowned performer worldwide and has provided superb artistic direction to this region's best-known professional ballet company, Orlando Ballet. His upcoming master class is one students surely won't want to miss."

Hill blends modern entertainment with classical ballet and his choreography has been critically acclaimed as energetic, graceful and theatrically beautiful. Under his direction, artistic collaborations have developed with other organizations such as Central Florida Community Arts, Opera Orlando, Garden Theatre, Creative City Project, The Abbey, the Bach Festival Society of Winter Park, the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra and Cirque du Soleil.

Hill has been a principal dancer with American Ballet Theatre (ABT), The Royal Ballet and the New York City Ballet. As a guest artist, he has appeared with numerous companies including the Scottish Ballet, the San Francisco Ballet, and the Australian Ballet. Hill’s interpretation of the title role in John Cranko’s “Onegin,” opposite Julie Kent as Tatiana, presented at the Metropolitan Opera House in Lincoln Center by ABT, was selected by The New York Times as one of the “Ten Best Moments in Dance” in 2002.

Hill is especially grateful to the loving dedication he received in his initial training with Liz Bevilacqua and Al Packard of The Dussich Dance Studio, and with Phyllis Papa of the Atlantic City Ballet.